Spam is a Hawaiian favorite

Wednesday

Feb 25, 2009 at 12:01 AM

Combined with rice and wrapped in nori seaweed. Served with eggs or topped with pineapple. Tossed in macaroni and cheese, stir-fry or salad. Is there no limit to the dishes Hawaiians will dream up using Spam?

By Kelly DiNardoThe Associated Press

Combined with rice and wrapped in nori seaweed. Served with eggs or topped with pineapple. Tossed in macaroni and cheese, stir-fry or salad. Is there no limit to the dishes Hawaiians will dream up using Spam?'As a child we would make Spam sandwiches of Spam straight from the can on white bread with mayonnaise,' said Ann Kondo Corum, who grew up in Hawaii in the 1950s and has written several Spam-inspired cookbooks.Today, Hawaiians eat more than 6 million cans of Spam a year, the nation's highest per capita consumption of the processed meat, which is cobbled together from a mixture of pork shoulder, ham, sugar and salt.And recently, it got a nod from the eater-in-chief. While vacationing in Hawaii in December, President Barack Obama was seen snacking on a Spam-filled sushi-like concoction while playing golf.The state's love affair with Spam began during World War II, when rationing created just the right conditions for the rise of a meat that needs no refrigeration and has a remarkably long shelf life (indefinitely, the company said).After the war, Spam remained a staple, but only took off during the '70s, when the product enjoyed a sort of epicurean Renaissance. Somebody — details are a bit murky — created Spam musubi, a sushi-like snack. Suddenly, Spam got hot.Today, mass-produced Spam musubi — teriyaki-fried Spam served on nori-wrapped rice — is widely available, including at most convenience stores.Corum, whose books include 'Hawaii's Spam Cookbook,' attributes the popularity partly to Hawaii's large Asian population. 'Asians eat a lot of rice. Spam is salty and it goes well with rice,' she said.While Spam musubi (musubi refers to a Japanese rice treat) remains the most popular Spam dish, the potted meat is served in a variety of forms and at both high-end restaurants and fast food joints.Award-winning restaurateur Sam Choy serves Spam kebabs. McDonald's and Burger King dish up Spam and eggs.'They don't have burger wars in Hawaii, they have Spam burger wars,' said Swen Neufeldt, group product manager at Hormel Foods, the Austin, Minn., company that produces Spam.In fact, while Spam is much mocked on the mainland, the canned meat often is referred to as Hawaiian steak.'People on the mainland look down on it as white trash food because they've never had it,' Corum said. 'If you've only had it baked with pineapple on top of it, that's understandable.'But cooked other ways, like in stir-fry, it's really good,' she said. 'It's the same negative feeling some people have toward organ meats like tongue. But if you go to France, those things are a delicacy.' And Neufeldt argues that Hawaii isn't alone, pointing out that the product is in a third of U.S. households.'It's pretty mainstream,' said Neufeldt, adding that Spam now comes in 11 flavors. 'We have a Spam state fair recipe contest each year. We go to state fairs around the country and I'm just amazed at the creative uses that people come up with. It's definitely mainstream. I think the joking and kidding is more in the media than in the mainstream.' He may be right. This year's winner of the Spam state fair recipe contest — a nacho burger made with Spam, jalapenos and guacamole — came from Colorado (not among the top five Spam-consuming states).'You can do anything with it,' said Corum. 'Well, almost anything. You just can't make a dessert with it. I tried to make a Spam cake once and it was just terrible.'

In a mesh strainer, rinse the rice under cold water. Place the strainer over a bowl and let the rice drain for several minutes.In a small saucepan, combine the rice and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high, then cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 14 minutes.Remove the pan from the heat and uncover. Drape a kitchen towel over the pan, then replace the cover. Let it sit for 20 minutes. Transfer the rice to a baking dish and sprinkle with the vinegar.Use a wooden spoon to toss the rice with the vinegar until well mixed. Cover the rice with plastic wrap and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high, heat the oil. Add the Spam and lightly brown on both sides, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

Use your hands to form the rice into 1-inch by 2-inch rectangles about 1-inch thick. Top each with a piece of Spam.Place each piece of sushi on top of 1 strip of nori and wrap the ends of the nori up over the middle of the Spam. Use a finger dunked in water to dampen the ends of the nori and stick it together.